The rural scenery in Định Công village, the market in Thanh Liệt village, and the wrestlers in Xa La village are a vibrant series of color photographs capturing Hà Đông province in 1915, taken by photographer Le’on Busy.
In 1909, French banker Albert Kahn (1860-1940) initiated the “Earth Data Project” to document images from various locations around the world using the color glass plate photography technique, which was the world’s first method for color photography.
Albert Kahn sent his photographers to over 50 countries and captured a total of 72,000 photographs. The photographer assigned to carry out this project in Indochina was Le’on Busy (1874-1951).
A restaurant in rural Hà Đông province in 1915. At this time, Hà Đông province covered several suburban districts and part of the inner city of present-day Hanoi.
Định Công village in Hà Đông province, 1915. Today, this area is Định Công Ward, Hoàng Mai District, Hanoi.
The market in Định Công village.
A house beside a pond in Định Công village.
Pastoral scenery in ancient Định Công village.
The thatched-roof market area in Thanh Liệt village, now part of Thanh Liệt commune, Thanh Trì district, Hanoi.
The banyan tree and water wharf in Mậu Lương village, now part of Kiến Hưng Ward, Hà Đông District, Hanoi.
Mr. Hoàng Trọng Phu – Governor of Hà Đông province and his wife in front of their villa, 1915.
Another image of the Governor of Hà Đông province and his wife.
Governor Hoàng Trọng Phu and family members.
The children of Governor Hoàng Trọng Phu.
The ancestral altar in Mr. Hoàng Trọng Phu’s house during Tet in 1915.
Narcissus flowers on the ancestral altar in Mr. Hoàng Trọng Phu’s house.
The gate of the tomb area of Governor Hoàng Cao Khải in Thái Hà hamlet (covering the land of the four villages of Thịnh Quang, Nam Đồng, Khương Thượng, and Yên Lãng), Hà Đông province, now part of Đống Đa District, Hanoi.
Inside the Hoàng Cao Khải mausoleum. Hoàng Cao Khải was the father of Hoàng Trọng Phu – Governor of Hà Đông.
Rural scenery in Thái Hà hamlet.
Flood scene in Thái Hà hamlet.
The noble cemetery in Thái Hà during the flood.
Wrestlers performing a ritual to honor the village’s patron deity before competing in the Tet festival in Xa La village, Hà Đông province, now part of Phúc La Ward, Hà Đông District, Hanoi.
A gentleman sitting in the yard of a house in Xa La.
The village chief and elders gathered in front of the Nam Dư communal house, now part of Lĩnh Nam Ward, Hoàng Mai District, Hanoi.
The village chief shaded by an umbrella while sitting in the communal yard.
A local official standing by the communal house gate.
A buffalo head placed on the altar in the communal house.
Patients in the leprosy settlement in Yên Duyên, now part of Yên Sở Ward, Hoàng Mai District, Hanoi.
Portrait of a leprosy patient in Yên Duyên.
Children outside a temple in Thanh Trì, Hà Đông province, now part of Thanh Trì district in Hanoi. The French referred to this temple as “Pagode de l’abattoir” (the slaughterhouse pagoda).
Another image of the ‘slaughterhouse temple’ in Thanh Tri.
A tomb area in Ha Dong, 1915.
Trees at the entrance to the tomb area.
Two women preparing offerings at a temple.
Riverbank road, 1914-1915.
Huong Tich Cave in the Huong Son scenic area, now part of My Duc District, Hanoi.
Entrance of Huong Tich Cave.
Surroundings of the Giai Oan Pagoda in the Huong Son scenic area.
